Prayer for the Day

by Revd Canon David White

8th February 2026 - 2nd Sunday before Lent

God be in my head,
and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes,
and in my looking;
God be in my mouth
and in my speaking;
God be in my heart
and in my thinking;
God be at my end,
and at my departing.
Amen.

This prayer is equally familiar as a hymn sung to a gentle, wistful and memorable tune composed by Sir Henry Walford Davies who was an organist and educator and Master of the King’s Music until his death in 1941. No one knows who wrote the prayer. It is said to have appeared in prayer books called ‘primers’ in the mid fifteenth century though it is likely to be older in origin.

The prayer is a simple petition to God who is implicitly recognised as being really close to us – already within – and needs us only to ask for his guidance in all our intellectual functions and relationships. It is short and personal starting with the head because it’s our minds which control all our other functions. It goes on to cover our looking - maybe to remind us of how Jesus always seemed to look for the best in people – and so should we.

Then our speaking – how easy it can be to use the wrong words that cause anger or strife, when God can influence us to use plain, loving, sincere talk which is all we need. Our heart is for our thinking because it is the essence of my being and is concerned with what is most important to us and to others. Finally, in conclusion, the prayer includes our departing this life with God, in readiness for whatever he has in store.